UCSF - Anatomy Lab - Hearts Out

"Hearts Out" by Peter Bogdanov
Acrylic on Canvas | Painted Live in UCSF’s Anatomy Lab | Original Work Available
 
Step into the liminal space between life and death with Hearts Out, an electrifying and visceral work by renowned artist Peter Bogdanov. Painted under extraordinary circumstances at UCSF Medical Center’s anatomy lab, this piece is as rare as it is haunting. On the very day it was created, Bogdanov—one of only a few artists ever invited to paint inside this medical sanctuary of silence—stood among the dissected dead, surrounded by the quiet presence of cadavers donated to science.
 
With gloved hands and reverent intent, Bogdanov reached inside a human chest cavity and placed the heart gently upon the body's surface. What followed was a moment of raw connection—"spooky and powerful," as the artist describes. That heart, now outside the body, became not only the anatomical centerpiece but the emotional anchor of the painting.
 
In Hearts Out, spectral blue forms echo the body's musculature, while the exposed heart, painted in rich, throbbing reds, seems to levitate, suspended in time and meaning. Wisps of light and darkness move through the canvas like spiritual currents. This isn’t just a painting—it’s a moment of communion with mortality, rendered with a rare blend of anatomical truth and artistic daring.
 
Collectors of Bogdanov’s work will recognize his signature style—unafraid, emotional, and masterfully controlled. But this piece stands apart. It’s not only art—it’s an artifact of human experience, made in one of the few places where death is both studied and honored.
 
Hearts Out belongs in the collection of someone who understands the sacred space where medicine, mystery, and art collide.